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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30082044">new year, old love</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveOnTheWater/pseuds/LoveOnTheWater'>LoveOnTheWater</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Crack, F/M, Modern AU, New Years, Warning: don't take this seriously, With A Twist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2013-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2013-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 20:20:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>356</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30082044</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveOnTheWater/pseuds/LoveOnTheWater</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Zuko wishes Katara a happy new year. It doesn't go the way he thought it would.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Katara/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>new year, old love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Disclaimer: I haven nothing against Modern ATLA AUs set in America, but I would like to see more AUs set in Asian countries and that thought sort of just spiraled into this mess. Enjoy???</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="message-2qnXI6 cozyMessage-3V1Y8y groupStart-23k01U wrapper-2a6GCs cozy-3raOZG zalgo-jN1Ica">
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<p></p><div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC"><p>They were drunk out of their minds, but even through the alcohol-induced haze of his vision, she was a clear vision. And in a few seconds' time golden streamers will fly across the room, champagne glasses will clink with swirling clear wine, and she will be smiling, eyes glimmering and pinched in the corners, and he will remember this moment forever.</p></div><div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC"><p>He leaned close, and even among the crowd's deafening cheers, counting down to 1, his whispers fell like a hush on the shell of her ear.</p></div><div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC"><p>"Happy new year, Katara."</p></div><div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC"><p>Except Katara sharply looked up at that. "Happy new year...?"</p></div><div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC"><p>Zuko nodded, albeit with some confusion. "Yeah, it's 2021 now? It's past midnight?"</p></div><div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC"><p>Katara sighed. "Zuko," she said, tone slightly reprimanding. "That's just a social construct, and it's not even correct considering the cultural context of our source material. If anything, we should be celebrating the lunar new year on February 12th, but then again that's not quite in line with my beliefs either."</p></div><div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC"><p>"Katara," Zuko said slowly. "We're in America right now. Is it so bad that I wanted to wish you happy new year?"</p></div><div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC"><p>She crossed her arms and huffed. "Yeah, about that - I would be okay with that except somehow every modern AU we're in is set in some kind of heavily westernized setting, even if it's not explicitly stated. I'd like to go to a university in Japan or Korea for once in my life! Probably not China though, too much smog there."</p></div><div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC"><p>"That's just discriminatory. Only the most populated cities such as Beijing have a problem with smog, and I'm tired of everyone thinking China has poisoned air or something-"</p></div></div><div class="buttonContainer-DHceWr">
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<p></p><div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC"><p>Zuko shook his head. "But that's besides the point! I guess my point is-" he stumbled on his words, on the awkwardness and tackiness of his next admission. "I... I felt like this new year would be special because whenever I'm with you, I feel like a new me."</p></div><div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC"><p>Katara's eyes softened. "Zuko..." Suddenly shy, she pointedly looked away even as she pushed herself onto her tiptoes. Her lips grazed by his ears.</p></div><div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC"><p>"Happy new year to you, too, Zuko."</p></div></div></div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you guess my social media/secret identity I will give you a cookie</p></blockquote></div></div>
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